www.rickrobinsonhomes.com

So you are thinking about buying a home that has a pool? What should you do?

I hear these questions often and here are some of my suggestions:

First thing you need to do is get a professional to do a complete pool inspection that includes a pressure test of all the plumbing lines. When they do a pressure test they will fill all the lines with water and get the pressure in the lines up to 10-15 lbs and they will watch to see if the pressure starts to drop this could indicate a leak in one of the plumbing lines.

An inspection will also give you an experts opinion on the condition of the pool equipment it's possible age and if there is any repairs they feel should be made right away, the biggest issues I have found is an older heater that leaks and or does not fire up. Repairs can be costly if you need to replace equipment. If you have a concrete pool then you may need to have the pool re plastered or tile and coping repairs these can be a costly repair that you should not have to be responsible for. Re plaster jobs could be in excess of $5000.00 tile and coping could be the same.

A vinyl liner pool is different as long as the vinyl liner is in tact and not leaking you should be OK a liner can fade, but this will not change the integrity of the pool itself. A new liner can run from $2000-$3000 for the liner and then another $1000 for the installation.

Once you determine that the pool is sound and you have a good report from the inspector you can go to the homeowner and ask for credit for any pool repairs needed before you close on the house.

Once you own the home take a water sample from the pool to your local pool supply center and have the water tested. They will tell you what you need to add to the water to keep it clean and safe for swimming, they can also guide you on proper maintenance and operation. A pool is a great feature to have in the backyard, it can be fun for the whole family and give your kids some great summer fun.

With a little knowledge and patience, a pool can be a great STAYCATION at home and save you a great deal of money on those costly trips to the beach.

So go ahead and buy that house and go swimming.....

Until Next Time....

Thinking About Buying A Spa

Rick the Spa Guy

Hey Everyone, today I just wanted to talk a little about buying a spa and what to look for or not care too much about. I sell Sundance spas and Cal spas, they are both great spas but are very different in their design. Sundance has been around since 1979 and sells all over the world as does Cal Spa, buying from a manufacturer that has been around a long time is very important as you know they have some sort of track record out there and the hope is that they will be around for the long haul, both of these companies have that track record.

I hear all the time about people buying spas because of the jet count, "My spa has 100 jets", remember that with any spa the therapy value and power is only as good as the pumps that drive the water, so in a 100 jet spa that has 2 pumps (usually 2 to 2 1/2 horsepower) each pump will run through 50 jets on average, now a similar spa with 50 jets and the same pumps will run through 25 jets each, which spa do you think will give a better massage?

There are manufacturers out there that advertise 5 bhp or 6 bhp pumps, the BHP stands for Brake Horse Power this means that when the pump first starts up it runs at 5 or 6 hp but once it achieves it's run cycle it down grades to a 2 hp or 2 1/2 hp consistently, so do not be amazed at a spa that has 6 bhp in the title, while these are still great pumps they are no better than a spa that has a full rated 2 hp pumps in them.

Another thing to look at is the Acrylic coating of the spa, most manufacturers use acrylic for their surface, but some have ABS plastic in theirs, and these spas are not as strong in the cold climate areas as they can flex much easier than Acrylic ones which can lead to de-lamination of the surface or blistering. In the Sundance spa for example they use Rigid Bond construction which means they use acrylic, a bonding agent, and the fiberglass structure that all have the same tensile strength, so as the spa flexes in cold and heat it will flex at the same time and should not de-laminate. If the manufacturer uses material that has different tensile strength, then the fiberglass and the acrylic can flex at different temperatures and the POSSIBILITY of de-lamination exists this DOES NOT mean it will happen just that it could more easily.

These are just my opinions on spas and take it for what it's worth. Don't buy a spa because it says it has 6bhp pumps or 100 plus jets, you want to know that it is comfortable when you sit in the seats, and that you CAN fit in the spa. Tall people can not fit in some manufacturers seating as their legs are too long for the shell design, and you will have this spa for 10 plus years you will have to live with the decision you make, so be sure you like it. The foot well is another big issue to my customers this is where your feet go when you get say 4-5 people in the spa together there will be 8-10 legs that have to get along in the foot well. Some spas do not have very big foot wells, some are very large so take your time and decide what fits YOUR needs.

A spa is the best therapy out there for what hurts, as well as a great family gathering spot.

Until Next Time......Happy Shopping...